John Fullbright On World Cafe

Folk singer John Fullbright got his start at the age of 16, playing at small venues in his native Oklahoma for tips and the occasional free meal. "I'd stand up there and play until my voice was gone, which sometimes would take three hours. Sometimes it'd take longer," Fullbright says. "But that's where I really learned to scream."

Fullbright sings with a raw howl, but he never loses control — countless hours spent performing have helped him refine the rough edges of his voice. Although he had previously released a live album — 2009's Live At The Blue Door — Fullbright's proper studio debut, From The Ground Up, was released earlier this year.

Written mostly in his family's Oklahoma farmhouse, the album focuses on the singer's faith — Fullbright even sings from the perspective of God himself on "Gawd Above." The album has won Fullbright plenty of well-earned attention, and he was even included in NPR Music's list of 10 Artists You Should Have Known In 2012.